New polls show that Meg Whitman is losing ground in the California gubernatorial race, raising questions about how her previous employment of Nicky Diaz Santillan, an illegal immigrant, as a housekeeper might be affecting the race.

Given a margin of error of 3 percentage points or so, the California contest could still be razor-edge close. But the latest surveys are significant because from late August through early September, a number of polls had showed Whitman even with Brown, or maintaining a slight lead. The new numbers, though, have caused Rasmussen to move the race from the “toss-up” column in its gubernatorial race chart, to “leans Democratic.”